Matters of which judicial notice is taken, including statutes of Iowa, need not be stated in any pleading. A pleading asserting any statute of another state, territory or jurisdiction of the United States, or a right derived therefrom, shall refer to such statute by plain designation and if such reference is made the court shall judicially notice such statute.
Rule 1.415.Judicial notice; statutes
Division IV: Pleadings and Motions · Last amended February 15, 2002 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.415 spares a pleader from having to state Iowa statutes or other judicially noticed matters in a pleading, but requires a party relying on another state's or jurisdiction's statute to identify it by plain designation so the court can take judicial notice of it.
Full Text of Rule 1.415
Plain-English Summary
Some matters do not need to be spelled out in a pleading because the court already knows them. Rule 1.415 confirms that matters subject to judicial notice, including the statutes of Iowa, need not be pleaded at all — a party relying on an Iowa statute does not have to quote or cite it in the petition or answer for the court to apply it.
The rule draws a line at Iowa's own borders. A pleading that relies on a statute of another state, a territory, or another jurisdiction of the United States — or on a right derived from one — has to identify that statute by plain designation. Once a party does that, the court takes judicial notice of the statute, treating it as established without separate proof, just as it would an Iowa statute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to quote an Iowa statute in my pleading to rely on it?
No. Rule 1.415 states that matters of which judicial notice is taken, including Iowa statutes, need not be stated in any pleading.
What if my claim depends on another state's law?
You have to reference that statute by plain designation in your pleading. Once you do, the court takes judicial notice of it.
What counts as a “plain designation” of an out-of-state statute?
The rule requires a reference to the statute clear enough that the court can identify and judicially notice it, rather than a vague or general allusion to another jurisdiction's law.
Will the court automatically notice a statute once I properly identify it?
Yes. Rule 1.415 states that if reference to the statute is made as required, the court shall judicially notice it.
Does this rule cover rights that come from another jurisdiction's statute, not just the statute itself?
Yes. Rule 1.415 extends to a right derived from another state's, territory's, or jurisdiction's statute, not just a claim based directly on the statutory text.
Source & verification. Rule text and the Comment are
reproduced verbatim from the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, adopted by the
Iowa Supreme Court. Last verified July 15, 2026.
· Official source
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